The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for uploading and downloading objects over a computer network. More specifically, the present invention provides an apparatus and method for allowing a user to upload objects to a World Wide Web server over the Internet and for automatically and immediately making the objects available for downloading over the Internet by client computers running standard web browser software, without intervention by or assistance by a human administrator.
The Internet is a worldwide network of computers linked together by various hardware communication links all running a standard suite of protocols known as TCP/IP (telecommunications protocol/internet protocol). The growth of the Internet over the last several years has been explosive, fueled in the most part by the widespread use of software viewers known as browsers and HTTP (hypertext transfer protocol) which allow a simple graphical user interface (GUI) to be used to control communications over the Internet. Browsers generally reside on the computer used to access the Internet, i.e. the client computer. HTTP provides users access to files of various formats using a standard page description language known as HTML, including its derivatives and successors (hypertext markup language). The collection of servers on the Internet using HITTP has become known as the xe2x80x9cWorld Wide Webxe2x80x9d or simply the xe2x80x9cWebxe2x80x9d. Through HTML, and interactive programming protocols, the author of a particular web page, or pages, is able to make information available to viewers of the web page by placing the web pages on an Internet web server in HTML format. The network path to the server is identified by a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) and, generally, any client running a web browser can access the web pages by the URL.
The Web has become ubiquitous in businesses and homes because it has proven to be convenient for various applications, such as news and data delivery, the purchase of various products, conducting banking and investment transactions, and the like. The Web and its authoring, transmission, and display protocols, such as browsers, HTML, Common Gateway Interface (CGI), Active Server Pages(trademark) and Java(trademark), have become a worldwide standard for information exchange. In the near future, all computers may be web servers and various appliances, such as televisions, telephones, PCs, ATMs, cash registers, and the like, will be web clients with the ability to exchange data with other web clients. Even today, the Web has become a primary vehicle for the sharing of information. As a result, xe2x80x9cvirtual communitiesxe2x80x9d, i.e. groups of people with common goals or interests, have formed to share information through web-based xe2x80x9cbulletin boardsxe2x80x9d, and the like, which present a common area of storage of information. The Web is particularly well suited to exchange of information between members of virtual communities because the Web allows members from any geographic location to access the same commonly shared area of information by using a desired URL.
A universal requirement of any information sharing application, such as bulletin boards for virtual communities, is the ability to post information to the commonly shared area and the ability to access the posted information quickly and easily. However, conventional techniques require that the programmer incorporate the specific files containing the information to be made available, or a link to these files, into the HTML code of the web page. Therefore, human interaction is required to make posted information available over the web to client computers running a web browser. In some cases, users can post pre-determined types of information, such as text messages and responses thereto, which are made available to other users without the need for reprogramming. Specifically, some bulletin boards have limited capacity to display information without the need for human intervention. For example, a text message can be typed into a form to be transferred, without being saved as a file, and quickly displayed on the bulletin board. However, conventional bulletin boards do not permit the downloading and posting of any and all types of files in an automatic manner, i.e. without the need for human intervention. It is often desirable to share various objects of any type, such as software programs, graphic files, audio and video files, links to web pages, or any other file. Conventional bulletin boards do not permit the sharing of objects without reprogramming of the web page.
Another common way of sharing information among various users is through email messages and files attached thereto. However, when using email to share information, the author must know in advance the email address of each intended recipient because SMTP only permits the message and attachment to be viewed by the addressee. Of course, ,as the number of addressees increases, the number of required messages increases and required file storage space can become very high. For example, a virtual community of N users will require 2N messages merely to share a single file with each person in the group. Further, when sharing files via email, it is difficult to make sure that each recipient has the most updated version of a file because the updated version must be sent to each recipient every time it is updated. Also, there is an inherent delay in the receipt of each message and attachment because the message is held on a mail server until the addressee logs into the mail server to retrieve it and thus email is not suitable for spontaneous interaction.
File Transfer Protocol (FTP) is another subset of TCP/IP that permits a client computer to upload a file from or to a server computer. However, FTP does not provide any means for displaying an icon or other representation of the file on a web page and permitting downloading of the file without human intervention. Once the file is uploaded, a web master must post the file manually on a web page.
Various proprietary software packages, such as NetMeeting(trademark) from Microsoft(trademark) are available for sharing documents over phone lines or the Internet. However, these require the installation of additional proprietary software and the inherent learning curve associated with new software.
Thus, a need exists for allowing a user to upload objects to a World Wide Web server over the Internet and for automatically and immediately making the objects available for downloading over the Internet by client computers running standard web browser software.
It is an object of the invention to facilitate the exchange of information over the Internet.
It is an object of the invention to permit a file or object uploaded from a client computer to a web server to be posted on a web page of the server computer for viewing on client computers running a web browser without the need for human interaction.
It is another object of the invention to permit an uploaded object to be automatically and immediately posted on a web server and downloaded to client computers running a web browser.
It is another object of the invention to allow objects to be shared, and maintained over the Web using conventional HTTP and HTML compliant web browsers.
The invention permits communities of users to readily share objects, such as program files, data files, video files, movie files, or the like, over the Internet using only a standard web browser and the well known interface thereof. The web site administrator need only modify the web site control program to include the software objects of the invention. Once the software of the invention is installed on the server, client computers can access the server through the Internet with a web browser and share objects.
The invention is useful for automatic dissemination of objects prior to a conference call, actual meeting, or virtual meeting. Presenters can upload presentations, documents and exhibits to be displayed on a predetermined display page corresponding to the meeting. All participants in the meeting can then access the display page through client computer having web access and a web browser to download, print or view the meeting documents prior to or during the meeting. xe2x80x9cVirtual teamsxe2x80x9d can have private work areas and display pages on the server to share objects. Access to the private display page can be restricted to members of the team or each object can have a password associated therewith to limit access to members of the team.
The invention can be used to develop shared object libraries. Anyone with web access can share a large repository of objects. The objects can be password protected, categorized and maintained in a manner similar to sharing over a local area network. A user profile database can be created to allow document originators to maintain a descriptive profile about themselves and their document to avoid reentry of the same information with each upload.
The upload function and other object management functions are triggered by clicking on a web page icon. Uploaded objects can be displayed in any manner or format by modifying the display object. The display object can allow the document originator to select the icon to be displayed in association with the object. The look and feel of the upload function in context with other information on the web page can be changed as desired.
An upload wizard can be provided to allow the web page author to select any of the options described above to create a custom appearance or to request custom descriptive information about the originator or the object (or to allow anonymous posting). The wizard can allow the author to select predefined templates for each function of the invention or can allow the author to create custom templates to be used over again.
A representation of uploaded objects is displayed by the server computer to be viewed as a web page with the browser of the client computer and the representation is automatically updated after an object is uploaded. The uploaded objects on the server computer render the uploaded objects accessible by other client computers running a web browser and connected to the Internet.
The objects of the present invention are achieved by a computer architecture which includes a server computer having a storage device and a communication interface. The server computer is coupled to the World Wide Web. A client computer, also connected to the WWW, has a storage device and display means. The client computer runs a web browser which connects to the server through the Internet and the communication interface. A display means displays an upload request interface on the display means of the client computer. A receiving means receives command and object information from the client computer and uploads an object stored in the storage device of the client computer corresponding to the object information transmitted from the client computer to the server computer. A display means displays a representation of uploaded objects to be viewed as a web page using a web browser on the client computer and automatically updates the representation after an object is uploaded. The storing means stores uploaded objects on the storage device of the server computer.
The foregoing objects of the present invention are also achieved by a computer-implemented method of rendering uploaded objects accessible by other client computers running a web browser. The server computer displays an upload interface for viewing with the web browser of a client computer. An upload command and object information is received from the client computer. An object corresponding to the object information from the client computer is uploaded. A representation of uploaded objects is displayed by the server computer to be viewed as a web page with the browser of the client computer. The representation is automatically updated after an object is uploaded. The uploaded objects are stored on the server computer.
Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, wherein the preferred embodiments of the invention are shown and described, simply by way of illustration of the best mode contemplated of carrying out the invention. As will be realized, the invention is capable of other and different embodiments and its several details are capable of modifications in various obvious respects, all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, the drawings and description thereof are to be regarded as illustrative in nature, and is not as restrictive.